Automatic air-release and humidifier for radiators.



c. c. SHIP P.

AUTOMATIC AIR RELEASE AND HUMIDIFIER FOR RADIATORS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 11 I917 Patented Dec. 17,

UNITED STATES CLARENCE C. SHIPP, 0F INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

Annemarie AIR-RELEASE AND nu-ivnmrmn Eon RADIATORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 17, 1918.

Application filed January 11, 1917. Serial No. 141,869.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARENCE C. SHIPP, a citizen of the United States,residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Air-Relases and Humidifiers for Radiators, of which the followingis aspecification.

This invention relates to a device for automatically exhausting .airfrom steam and hot water radiators, to accelerate the action of heatradiation, and also for exhausting amounts of water from time to time asmay be required for humidifying purposes.

One of the objects of the invention consists in the provision of adevice of the above character in which, when the radiator is out ofoperation, the shrinkage of the cooling water will sufliciently lowerthe water level within the catch-pan, with a corresponding reduction inthe elevation of the float, as to cause the valve attached to said floatto be unseated, thereby allowing any subsequent accumulation of airwithin the radiator to be discharged when the latter is again set intooperation.

A further object of the invention consists in the provision of meanswhereby the discharge of air and water from the radiator is controlledby the amount of discharged water accumulatedin the humidifying watercatch-pan.

I accomplish the, above objects of the invention, and such others as mayappear from a perusal of the specification and claim, by means of theconstruction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a parthereof, in which- Figure 1 is a view partly in section and partly inelevation of the mechanism for controlling the outflow of air andwater'diSr charged from the radiator. Fig. 2 is an en'- larged detailsectional view through the end of the air and water discharge pipe. Fig.3

is a fragmentary detail in side elevation of" a radiator showing theposition and application of my invention. Fig. 4 is an end elevation ofthe construction shown in Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, 10 represents the several coils or sectionscomprising a conventional style of a steam and hot water radiator, inwhich each coil is provided with a vertically extending centrallyarranged opening 11. To meet modern heating requirements which, amongother things, ne-

cessitates the maintenance of a certainamount of humidity within a room,I provide means consisting of a water catching and storing pan 12whichis open at its top to permit free escape of vapor into the room,and for convenience and to prevent marring the appearance of theradiator pan 12 is introduced into the openings 11 in the radiatorcoils. In order to insure constant operation of the humidifyingapparatus and to accelerate the action of heat radiation, by theliberation of air from within the radiator, I introduce an automaticregulating device which not only removes the accumulated air from withinthe radiator but automatically maintains a sufiicient sup-ply of waterin catch-pan 12 at all times for meeting the constant demands inmaintaining the requisite percentage of moisture.

To accomplish the several objects heretofore noted, I establishcommunication with the interior of the radiator through the usualaperture 15, generally containing one of the many forms of'ai-rreleasing devices, by means of an'elbow 16 which communicates with asmall hollow tube 17 the latter extending downward into the catch-pan 12where it is coiled to'form a hollow chamber 18. Examining Fig. 1, itwill be noted that tube 17 is of small diameter and is formed into aseries of closely arranged spiral convolutions which will yield more orless when subjected to the influence of internal air pressure, therebyallowing gradual and silent exhausting of the air discharged from theradiator into chamber 18. One of the objects in forming the convolutionsin tube 17 is'that after the air has been exhausted from the radiator,the subsequent flow of vapor will be condensed to water before itsdischarge into valve chamber 20. As the air and water are dischargedfrom tube 17 they pass into a valve-chamber 20 located in valve-housing21, .and in chamber 20 avalve 22 operates to control the flow of boththe air and water. Presuming valve 22 to be unseated from its valve seat23, the water passes from valve-chamber 2O upward along to form achamber 27 and the latter is closed at the top by means of a cap-screw28.

lu"oe extends upwardly through chamber 18 and plug 26 and has itsdischarge end at the floor line of chamber 27. llhe discharge end oftube 25 is normally sealed against inward flow of air or Water into theradiator by means of a gravity seated spherical ball 30, the ball beinginduced to seat itself through the inclined formation or the bottom ofchamber 27. Air is allowed to flow out of chamber 27 into chamber 18through an aperture 31 in plug 26. As the air discharging into chamber18 is more or less underpressure, the buzzing and sizzing noises usuallyaccompanying such discharge are eliminated by the cushioning efiect ofthe convolutions in tube 17, the said convolutions heingsufiicientlysensitive to yield under the influence or" internal pressure, therebycausing the convolutions to spread. and allow. the air to gradually passout from between said convolutions to the atmosphere. l Vhen sutlicientWater has accumulated in pan 12 to raise the Water level a sufficientheight to elevate float 35-the latter elevates and Water level Withincatch-pan 12 has been lowered to a point to no longer sustain float 35the latter descends, causing valve 22 to be unseated and the dischargeof Water into pan 12 to be reiistablished.

Having thus fully described my said in-- vention, What ll desire tosecure by Letters -Patent, is

Y in combination, with a steam and hot Water radiator, a pan forreceiving the Water discharged from said radiator, an air and Waterconductor-means communicating With the interior of the radiator andhaving its discharge in advance of a controlling valve, saidconductor-means being provided With a series of convolutions forcondensing vapor and for providing a chamber for receiving the exhaustedair from the interior of the radiator, an air'conductor-means extendingfrom the rear or" said valve and discharging into said chamber, meansfor closing the discharge endof said second conductormeans against backfiovv of air, a valve for controlling the outward flow of air and Waterfrom the radiator, and means actuated by the rise and fall of the WaterWithin said pan for seating and unseating said valve.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal atIndianapolis, Indiana, this 30th day of December, A. l). one thousandnine hundredand sixteen.

CLARENCE C. Sl'lllPP. [13.8.]

